When you feel a nudge towards prayer, do you listen? Or are you too distracted? Too inconvenienced? Too busy?
A few months ago, my daughter and I were driving down the highway when the traffic quickly slowed down from its usual 55 miles per hour pace to almost a complete stop. Sirens rang louder as it became apparent that there had been an accident. Immediately my daughter said, “mom, let’s pray for them.” And we did.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) tells us to “Pray continually”. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? It would be, if we try 
to take it literally. In this passage, God is telling us to have a prayerful attitude at all times. To obey him fully. To pray frequent, short, spontaneous prayers when called to do so.
Do you seek opportunities for prayer? Do you listen when they are presented? I humbly admit there are times when a specific person or situation is placed on my heart, and I ignore the feeling because I’m too busy. I rationalize that whatever I’m doing at that moment is not only “more important” but also what God would rather have me doing. I tell myself it’s more productive than prayer.
How can I be more like my daughter and listen for God’s calling to pray for others?
I’m embarrassed to admit prayer was not my first thought as the traffic slowed. I was frustrated it would take longer to get to my destination. I was focused on myself. On my own inconvenience.
My daughter listened to God’s calling and immediately wanted to pray. She didn’t hesitate.
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) says “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” His words “be alert” speak to me. My daughter listened to God’s calling and immediately wanted to pray. She didn’t hesitate.
Let’s talk about this! When you feel the nudge to pray, what do you do? Do you ignore it? Do you question its existence, or attribute it to something worldly and discredit its divine origin?
When you feel the nudge to pray, what should you do? Listen. Be still. Embrace the divine moment. Share it with God. Be thankful for the opportunity to pray for a certain person or situation.
I haven’t heard a siren the same since that day, and I won’t let one pass by without a prayer. We should never be too busy for a prayer. A few words, like, “Lord, please be with those people. Amen,” is easy.
